Strip folder for sewing machines and the like



O 1939- c. s. THOMPSON STRIP FOLDER FOR SEWING MACHINES AND THE LIKE Filed May 28, 1956 HG I INVENTOR: narlas S. Thompson,

TORNE YS.

Patented Oct. 10, 1939 i ,y

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE STRIP FOLDER FOR SEWING MACHINES AND THE LIKE Charles S. Thompson, Elmhurst, Ill.,' assignor to Union Special Machine Company, Chicago, 11]., a corporation of Illinois Application May 28, 1936, Serial No. 82,189 6 Claims. (Cl.112-138) This invention relates to devices useful in conprogressed crosswise of the work support I under nection with sewing or looping machines andthe the action of the feed dog 3. like for folding strip material incident to guiding The strip folder with which the present init to the stitching or looping instrumentalities vention is directly concerned is comprehensively for attachment to the edges of a body fabric, as designated by the numeral 6 in the several views I;

for example, in finishing underwear and other of the drawing, and as shown, is fashioned from garments. Certain forms of tape or strip masheet metal to the form of a horizontally elongate terial, particularly when of relatively thin knitted tube which merges from fiat vertical cross-secfabric, are difiicult to control in folding due to tional configuration at its right end or receiving 10 the tendency of the fabricto curl at the edges end into transverse U-shaped cross-sectional con- 10':

with the result that the folding is often uneven figuration toward its left hand or delivery end, and the garments defective from the standpoint where it is formed with a short lateral guide exof finish and appearance. tension i, also of U-shaped cross section. To

The aim of my invention is to obviate the the back of the folder 6 is permanently secured above difficulties, which objective I realize in a vertically slotted plate 8 which slidingly en- 15:

practice as hereinafter more fully disclosed, gages the upstanding tongue 9 of a fixed bracket through provision of a folder of simple construc- E0 on a supporting arm ll attached to the work tion having at its delivery end smoothing elesupport I, so that the folder may be adjusted ments with lips to cooperate with retroverting up and down relative to the work support I. A edges about which the strip margins pass after screw 12 serves as a means for securing the folder :0

the folding for directional change in the travel of 6 after it has been properly adjusted. The dethe strip, in effectively eliminating the edge curl livery end of the folder 6 is finished off at a bevel in the material so that the margins are presented with resultant provision of two spaced retrovertperfectly fiat to the seaming or looping instruing edges I3 at an angle to the longitudinal about mentalities, said smoothing elements being in the which the strip margins pass, after folding of 25 form of spring tongues capable of yielding to perthe strip S for change in the direction of travel mit passage of irregularities in the strip, and of said strip by way of the guide extension 1 enmoreover, capable of adjustment so that the route to the needles 5 of the sewing machine as folder can be adapted to strip material of differshown in Figs. I and III.

ent thicknesses. For the purpose of flattening the strip margins 30 In the attached drawing, a and eliminating edge curls in them, the folder Fig. I is a fragmentary plan sectional view of B is provided at the top and bottom of its delivthe frontal portion of a sewing machine fitted ery end with smoothing elements in the form of with my improved strip folder and guide. spring tongues l5 which are reverse duplicates of Fig. II is a perspective view of the folder with each other. The rear ends of the smoothing ele- 35 portions thereof broken out and in section. ments [5 are secured to anchorage projections Fig. III is a perspective view of the delivery IS on the folder by screws ll, and their free or end of the folder drawn to an enlarged scale, and forward ends are finished off at a bevel and Fig. IV is a detail sectional view taken as indiformed with lips I8 which extend parallel with cated by the arrows IV-IV in Fig. III. the retroverting edges [3 of said folder, 1. e. 40

With more detailed reference, first more partransversely of the direction of travel of the strip ticularly to Fig. I of these illustrations, I desigat the regions of contact therewith. By aid of nates the base or work support of the sewing maset screws 19 threadedly engaged in the smoothchine into which is set a removable plate 2 with a ing elements [5 near their free ends and bearing slot 3 in which the toothed portion 4 of a feed aga nst t e Corresponding Sides o the folder 6, 45 dog operates, said feed dog being actuated in a said elements can be easily and quickly adjusted well known manner by means (not shown) beto vary the spacing of their lips l8 in respect to neath the work support. The machine is in this the retroverting e ges 13 and the folder thereby instance provided with two needles 5, which are adapted for the manipulation of strip material of actuated by suitable mechanism (not shown) if r nt thicknesses. T pr iness of he so from above the work support I, by cooperation smoothing elements I5 is obviously advantageous with suitable looper mechanism (not shown) bein that it perm yielding in e eve t of irneath said work support, and produce a cover regularities such as cross seams or joints, in the seam C whereby the finishing strip indicated at strip material to preclude clogging of the folder S is secured to a body fabric F as the latter is or tearing of the p- 56 In the use of the folder, the edge of the body fabric F is passed into the central interval 20 between the two retroverting edges [3 where it meets the folded strip S with the latter lapped about said edge for guidance of the two together by the lateral extension 1 of the folder to the needles 5all in the manner clearly shown in Fig. I.

Having thus described my invention, I claim:

1. A strip folder for sewing machines and the like comprising a guide tube which merges from flat cross-sectional configuration at its receiving end into U-shaped cross-sectional configuration at its delivery end, with provision at the latter end of spaced retroverting edges about which the folded margins of the strip pass; smoothing elements in the form of spring tongues secured at one of the ends to the guide tube and having inwardly directed lips at their free ends parallel with the retroverting edges to cooperate with said edges; and means whereby the spring tongues can be separately adjusted to vary the spacing of their lips relative to the retroverting edges.

2. A strip folder for sewing machines and the like comprising a guide tube which merges from flat cross-sectional configuration at its receiving end into U-shaped cross-sectional configuration at its delivery end, with provision at the latter end of spaced retroverting edges at an angle to the longitudinal about which the folded margins of the strip pass for directional change in the travel of the strip; smoothing elements in the form of spring tongues secured at one of their ends to opposite sides of the guide tube and having inwardly directed lips at an angle corresponding to that of the retroverting edges aforesaid and adapted to cooperate with the latter in flattening the folds of the strip and eliminating curls therein; and means whereby the spring tongues can be adjusted to vary the spacing of their lips relative to said retroverting edges.

3. A strip folder for sewing machines and the like comprising a guide tube which merges from flat cross sectional configuration at its receiving end to U-shaped cross section at its delivery end, with provision at the latter end, of spaced retroverting edges about which the folded margins of the strip pass; elements having smoothing lips rearward of the retroverting edges with respect to the direction of strip travel for flattening the strip and eliminating edge curls therein before it is retroverted by passage around said retroverting edges; and adjusting means for varying the spacing of the lips of the smoothing elements relative to the retroverting edges.

4. A strip folder for sewing machines and the like comprising a guide tube which merges from flat cross sectional configuration at its receiving end to U-shaped cross section at its delivery end, with provision at the latter end, of spaced retroverting edges at an angle to the longitudinal about which the folded margins of the strip pass for directional change in the travel of the strip; elements having smoothing lips rearward of the retroverting edges in respect to the direction of strip travel for flattening the strip and eliminating edge curls therein before it is retroverted by passage around said retroverting edges; and adjusting means for varying the spacing of the lips of said elements relative to said retroverting edges.

5. A strip folder for sewing machines and the like comprising a guide tube which merges from fiat cross sectional configuration at its receiving end to U-shaped configuration at its delivery end, with provision at the latter end, of spaced retroverting edges about which the folded margins of the strip pass; elements having smoothing lips rearward of the retroverting edges in respect to the direction of strip travel for flattening the strip and eliminating edge curls therein before it is retroverted by passage around said retroverting edges; and independent adjusting means for varying the spacing of the lips of said elements respectively relative to said retroverting edges.

6. A strip folder for sewing machines and the like comprising a guide tube which merges from flat cross sectional configuration at its receiving end to U-shaped cross section at its delivery end, with provision at the latter end, of spaced retroverting edges about which the folded margins of the strip pass; elements having smoothing lips rearward of the retroverting edges with regard to the direction of strip travel, for flattening the strip and eliminating edge curls therein before it is retroverted by passage around said retroverting edges.

CHARLES S. THOMPSON. 

